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Bucket Brigade

March 27, 2013: this morning was the most recent air sample collected by volunteers in our environmental justice partnership with the Delaware City Environmental Coalition's "Bucket Brigade." Pollution was noticeable in the town of Delaware City this morning, and by the look of the smoke stacks at the PBF Delaware City Refinery at sunrise, the wind was blowing emissions right over residential neighborhoods.

The Delaware City air quality monitoring project is moving forward. Our Environmental Justice partners, the Delaware City Environmental Coalition, took the first "field blank" samples with the air quality monitoring buckets on November 15, 2012.

One of the difficulties identified during our attempt to take the first test sample is that some of our sample bags were damaged. Fortunately, we found had two bags in our supply that were able to hold air, and took the test sample.

Through a collaborative effort between Main Street Delaware City, the Delaware City Environmental Coalition, Global Community Monitor and the Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club, the volunteers who will use citizen science air monitors were trained on their proper use, chain of custody and log sheets at the Delaware City Library on September 15, 2012.

Our air quality monitoring program with environmental justice partners, the Delaware City Environmental Coalition, kicked off on September 14, 2012 with a "Chemical Corridor Toxic Tour" of the surrounding environmental risks in the area, and the sampling locations where volunteers will deploy citizen air quality monitors, known as "buckets". Environmental Justice Intern Elisa Sarantschin guided the team of volunteers through locations including the Delaware City Refinery,